Green New Deal: Research

As an institution specialising in the arts, humanities, social sciences and computing, Goldsmiths has a key role to play in supporting societal understanding of climate change and the socio-economic challenges it presents.

We are committed to supporting our world-leading researchers to have a positive impact on climate change challenges.

Our action plan

Over the next five years, we will take the following actions to strengthen our response to the climate emergency through our research:

Working with our researchers to raise awareness of environmental issues

We will develop a series of termly workshops for researchers, especially early career researchers, with the aim of identifying and sharing best practice in conducting research and developing national and international networks and partnerships.

Providing incentives to encourage more researchers to undertake research and enterprise activities related to climate change

We will develop a new Strategy Priorities Fund to support strategic projects and work, which will include a focus on the social and cultural impacts of the climate crisis. Pump priming funding will be provided for activities that advance College and departmental priorities for research, enterprise and exchange.

Encouraging engagement in environmental sustainability debates

We will look for further opportunities to utilise our researchers and expertise in events relating to the Green New Deal and the COP26 legacy.

We will also work to raise awareness of our research expertise among our students, staff and local community.

Recognising and celebrating public and civic engagements linked to the climate emergency

We will explore the potential to feature climate action work more prominently within our public and community engagement activities.

Supporting climate-focused activities during London Borough of Culture

We will work to promote the Lewisham Borough of Culture climate and environmental sustainability work to Goldsmiths staff and students and support with our research expertise.

Building partnerships in our community to enhance our local environment

We will build relationships with local community groups who have a shared interest in the environment and explore the potential to support the exchange of volunteers, knowledge, plants and machinery.

Working with Lewisham Deal partners on climate change

As articulated in our Civic University Agreement, we will work closely with other partners in the Lewisham Deal to take shared actions on climate change.

How our research already tackles climate change

Goldsmiths’ research has a track record of addressing issues linked to climate change and ecological breakdown across its disciplines.

Our research helps to shape public debate and influence policy interventions. Some illustrative examples are:

• The Critical Ecologies research stream addresses questions concerning the climate crisis and environmental justice from an arts and humanities perspective
• The Acoustics and Sound Ecology Research Unit contributes a significant body of work of relevance to the College’s engagements with its local residents and community groups
• The Department of Design has notable expertise in the fields of Designing Sustainable Futures and the Circular Economy
• In Cloud Studies, Goldsmiths-based research agency Forensic Architecture explored how states and corporations weaponise the air we breathe to suppress protest and support exploitative industries